System, Method, and Apparatus for User-Less Payment on Delivery

ABSTRACT

Described herein are systems, methods, and apparatuses for performing a user-less payment for an item upon its delivery by an unmanned delivery vehicle. The unmanned delivery vehicle may navigate to a delivery location, receive payment information, initiate a payment transaction with a remote server, and release the item at a specified location upon successful completion of the payment transaction. Upon arrival of the unmanned delivery vehicle, a wireless data transmission device may send payment information to a remote server, and the remote server may provide the unmanned delivery vehicle with an indication of whether the item can be released and a specific location at which the item can be released.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When customers order products by phone or over the Internet, theytypically provide payment information to a merchant at the time theorder is placed and are subsequently charged either at that time or uponthe merchant sending/shipping that product. This is undesirable for anumber of reasons: (1) if the goods never arrive, or are lost/stolen intransit, the customer has already been charged for the purchase and mustdispute the charges with the merchant, payment provider, or issuingbank; (2) the customer has parted with funds, despite not yet receivinggoods, thus resulting in lost interest income or lost liquidity duringthe shipping period, which can comprise a number of weeks; and (3) inmost payment card systems, e-commerce transactions are considered to be“card not present,” thus increasing the fees paid by a merchant on thosetransactions, and placing the liability for the transaction on themerchant or its acquiring bank. Accordingly, there is a need for a wayto allow a customer to provide payment on-delivery without requiring thecustomer's (e.g., the recipient's) presence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods, andapparatuses for the delivery of products and/or the making of a paymentfor products without the need for involvement or presence of, orintervention by, human actors. In some embodiments, a customer (e.g., aconsumer) may maintain a wireless data transmission device within theirhome or place of business capable of detecting an incoming deliveryvehicle transporting a package for which the customer is an intendedrecipient, or alternatively, the device may be capable of being detectedby the incoming delivery vehicle. Upon detection, the device maycommunicate with the delivery vehicle and provide payment information tothe delivery vehicle such that a purchase transaction may be performed.In some embodiments, upon receipt of payment information, a packagedelivery vehicle may proceed to “charge” the customer for the goods byrelaying the payment information to a remote server, which may thenperform payment processing. Upon successful completion of a paymenttransaction, the delivery vehicle may receive an indication as towhether the package may be left. In some embodiments, the deliveryvehicle may receive one or more specific locations on the customer'spremises for package drop-off. In some embodiments, the delivery vehiclemay receive instructions indicating that the package should be deliveredto an alternate location.

Benefits of the embodiments disclosed herein include allowing a customerto wait until an item is delivered before having to pay for it, whichresults in no need for the customer to assume the responsibility forinteracting with a merchant and obtaining a refund if an item does notarrive. Additional benefits include delivery confirmation, whichincreases the overall reliability of e-commerce, as well as no loss inliquidity by the customer during the item shipping period. Additionally,a benefit to merchants is that such transactions could be recognized bypayment card networks and financial institutions as “card-present”transactions, which may enable those merchants to receive more favorableinterchange rates. These and other embodiments of the invention aredescribed in further detail below.

According to a non-limiting embodiment or aspect, an item deliverysystem comprises a wireless data transmission device; and an unmanneddelivery vehicle configured to: transport an item to a recipientlocation; wirelessly receive payment information upon arrival at therecipient location; wirelessly transmit the payment information to aremote server; wirelessly receive an indication that the item is to bereleased; and release the item at the recipient location; wherein thewireless data transmission device is configured to wirelessly transmitthe payment information to the unmanned delivery vehicle.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the wireless data transmissiondevice is further configured to automatically detect the presence of theunmanned delivery vehicle.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the unmanned delivery vehicleis further configured to automatically detect the presence of thewireless data transmission device.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the wireless data transmissiondevice is further configured to send to the unmanned delivery vehiclethe indication that the item is to be released.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the wireless data transmissiondevice is further configured to send to the unmanned delivery vehicle anitem release location.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the item release locationcomprises at least one of a physical address, location coordinates, abusiness name, or any combination thereof.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the wireless data transmissiondevice is further configured to: obtain, from a remote server, thepayment information; and store, in a tamper resistant memory, thepayment information.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the payment informationcomprises a payment token.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the unmanned delivery vehicleand the wireless data transmission device are further configured tooperate without user intervention.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the unmanned delivery vehicleis further configured to send, to the wireless data transmission device,a transaction receipt.

According to a non-limiting embodiment or aspect, provided is a methodfor delivering an item comprising navigating to a recipient locationwith the item on-board; receiving payment information upon arrival atthe recipient location; transmitting the payment information to a remoteserver; receiving an indication of whether the item is to be released;and releasing the item if the indication received was positive.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the payment information istransmitted within an authorization request message.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the payment information isreceived from a wireless data transmission device.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the payment information isreceived from the wireless data transmission device over a medium-rangewireless communication channel.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the payment information istransmitted through the wireless data transmission device to the remoteserver.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the method further comprisesdetecting the presence of a wireless data transmission device.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, payment information istransmitted to the remote server over a long-range wirelesscommunication channel.

According to a non-limiting embodiment or aspect, provided is a methodfor accepting delivery of an item comprising detecting an unmanneddelivery vehicle transporting the item; transmitting payment informationto the unmanned delivery vehicle; and providing an item release locationto the unmanned delivery vehicle.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the item release locationcomprises at least one of a physical address, location coordinates, abusiness name, or any combination thereof.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the method further comprisesobtaining, from a remote server, the payment information; and storing,in a tamper resistant memory, the payment information.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the payment informationcomprises a payment token.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the method further comprisestransmitting, to the unmanned delivery vehicle, information identifyingat least one of the item, an order, an identity of an intendedrecipient, or any combination thereof.

In one non-limiting embodiment or aspect, the method further comprisesopening a secured location for entry by the unmanned delivery vehicle,wherein access to the secured location is required to reach the itemrelease location.

Further non-limiting embodiments or aspects are set forth in thefollowing numbered clauses:

Clause 1: An item delivery system comprising: a wireless datatransmission device; an unmanned delivery vehicle configured to:transport an item to a recipient location; wirelessly receive paymentinformation upon arrival at the recipient location; wirelessly transmitthe payment information to a remote server; wirelessly receive anindication that the item is to be released; and release the item at therecipient location; wherein the wireless data transmission device isconfigured to: wirelessly transmit the payment information to theunmanned delivery vehicle.

Clause 2: The item delivery system of clause 1, wherein the wirelessdata transmission device is further configured to automatically detectthe presence of the unmanned delivery vehicle.

Clause 3: The item delivery system of clause 1, wherein the unmanneddelivery vehicle is further configured to automatically detect thepresence of the wireless data transmission device.

Clause 4: The item delivery system of clause 1, wherein the wirelessdata transmission device is further configured to send to the unmanneddelivery vehicle the indication that the item is to be released.

Clause 5: The item delivery system of clause 1, wherein the wirelessdata transmission device is further configured to send to the unmanneddelivery vehicle an item release location.

Clause 6: The item delivery system of clause 5, wherein the item releaselocation comprises at least one of a physical address, locationcoordinates, a business name, or any combination thereof.

Clause 7: The item delivery system of clause 1, wherein the wirelessdata transmission device is further configured to: obtain, from a remoteserver, the payment information; and store, in a tamper resistantmemory, the payment information

Clause 8: The item delivery system of clause 7, wherein the paymentinformation comprises a payment token.

Clause 9: The item delivery system of clause 1, wherein the unmanneddelivery vehicle and the wireless data transmission device are furtherconfigured to operate without user intervention

Clause 10: The item delivery system of clause 1, wherein the unmanneddelivery vehicle is further configured to send, to the wireless datatransmission device, a transaction receipt.

Clause 11: A method for delivering an item comprising: navigating to arecipient location with the item on-board; receiving payment informationupon arrival at the recipient location; transmitting the paymentinformation to a remote server; receiving an indication of whether theitem is to be released; and releasing the item if the indicationreceived was positive.

Clause 12: The method of clause 11, wherein the payment information istransmitted within an authorization request message.

Clause 13: The method of clause 12, wherein the payment information isreceived from a wireless data transmission device.

Clause 14: The method of clause 13, wherein the payment information isreceived from the wireless data transmission device over a medium-rangewireless communication channel.

Clause 15: The method of clause 13, wherein the payment information istransmitted through the wireless data transmission device to the remoteserver.

Clause 16: The method of clause 11, further comprising detecting thepresence of a wireless data transmission device.

Clause 17: The method of clause 11, wherein the payment information istransmitted to the remote server over a long-range wirelesscommunication channel

Clause 18: A method for accepting delivery of an item, the methodcomprising: detecting an unmanned delivery vehicle transporting an item;transmitting payment information to the unmanned delivery vehicle; andproviding an item release location to the unmanned delivery vehicle.

Clause 19: The method of clause 18, wherein the item release locationcomprises at least one of a physical address, location coordinates, abusiness name, or any combination thereof.

Clause 20: The method of clause 19, further comprising: obtaining, froma remote server, the payment information; and storing, in atamper-resistant memory, the payment information.

Clause 21: The method of clause 20, wherein the payment informationcomprises a payment token.

Clause 22: The method of clause 18, further comprising: transmitting, tothe unmanned delivery vehicle, information identifying at least one ofthe item, an order, an identity of an intended recipient, or anycombination thereof.

Clause 23: The method of clause 18, further comprising: opening asecured location for entry by the unmanned delivery vehicle, whereinaccess to the secured location is required to reach the item releaselocation.

These and other features and characteristics of the present invention,as well as the methods of operation and functions of the relatedelements of structures and the combination of parts and economies ofmanufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of thefollowing description and the appended claims with reference to theaccompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification,wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in thevarious figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that thedrawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only andare not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative non-limiting example of a system forimplementing the delivery of, and payment for, packages that enables theautomated receipt of payment at the point of delivery;

FIG. 2A depicts aspects of a process flow that may be present when awireless data transmission device requests and receives a payment token;

FIG. 2B depicts aspects of a process flow that may be present whenprocessing a payment transaction involving an unmanned delivery vehicle;

FIG. 3 depicts a process flow for providing payment information anddelivery instructions to a delivery vehicle in accordance with at leastsome embodiments;

FIG. 4 depicts aspects of elements that may be present in a wirelessdata transmission device configured to implement a method and/or processin accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 depicts aspects of elements that may be present in an unmanneddelivery vehicle configured to implement a method and/or process inaccordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, various embodiments will be described. Forpurposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments.However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that theembodiments may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore,well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscurethe embodiment being described. Prior to discussing embodiments of theinvention, description of some terms may be helpful in understandingthese embodiments.

“Communication” and “communicate” refer to the receipt or transfer ofone or more signals, messages, calls, commands, or other type of data.For one unit (e.g., any device, system, or component thereof) to be incommunication with another unit means that the one unit is able toreceive data from and/or transmit data to the other unit. Acommunication may use a direct or indirect connection and may be wiredand/or wireless in nature. Additionally, two units may be incommunication with each other even though the data transmitted may bemodified, processed, routed, etc., between the first and second unit.For example, a first unit may be in communication with a second uniteven though the first unit passively receives data and does not activelytransmit data to the second unit. As another example, a first unit maybe in communication with a second unit if an intermediary unit processesdata from one unit and transmits processed data to the second unit. Itwill be appreciated that numerous other arrangements are possible.

A “communication channel” may refer to any suitable path forcommunication between two or more entities. Any suitable communicationprotocols may be used for generating a communication channel. Acommunication channel may in some instance comprise a “securecommunication channel” or a “tunnel,” either of which may be establishedin any known manner, including the use of mutual authentication and asession key and establishment of an SSL session. However, any method ofcreating a secure channel may be used, and communication channels may bewired or wireless, as well as long-range, short-range, or medium-range.

A “long-range wireless communication channel” may include acommunication channel, at least a portion of which occurs overradio-frequency, microwave, optical/light, or any other suitabletechnique operable over distances above fifty meters. Non-limitingexamples of such communication channels include the use of technologiessuch as cellular networks, space-based satellites, packet radio, orlong-range optical communications. Some non-limiting examples ofspecific protocols and specifications in these technologies include LTE,WiMax/IEEE 802.16, CDMA, HSPA, UMTS, IS-2000, IS-95, and GSM. It will beunderstood and appreciated that some of the non-limiting examples mayalso be suitable for use at distances below fifty meters, as well, andtherefore, their inclusion in this definition is not intended to excludethem as non-limiting examples of medium-range wireless communicationchannels.

A “medium-range wireless communication channel” may include acommunication channel, at least a portion of which occurs overelectromagnetic wave technology, including but not limited toradio-frequency, microwave, optical/light, or any other suitabletechnique operable over distances below fifty meters. Non-limitingexamples of such communication channels include the use of definedstandards such as WiFi® (defined as the family of IEEE 802.11specifications), Bluetooth®, Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”), WPAN (definedas the family of IEEE 802.15 specifications), mesh networking protocolssuch as Zigbee® or Z-Wave®, and Li-Fi. It will be understood andappreciated that some of the non-limiting examples may also be suitablefor use at distances above fifty meters, as well, and therefore, theirinclusion in this definition is not intended to exclude them asnon-limiting examples of long-range wireless communication channels.

“Payment information” may include payment account information or digitalrepresentations of value that can be used in a payment transaction.Non-limiting examples of payment information may include a PAN (primaryaccount number or “account number”), a bank account number, a creditcard or debit card number, health insurance information, gift cardaccount data, loyalty account information, and any additionalinformation required to supplement such data, including an expirationdate, a CVV2 value, name, and billing address. Payment information mayalso include any data representative of the aforementioned paymentaccount information, such as a payment token, or any other accountalias. Payment information may also include data associated withcrypto-currencies.

A “payment token” or “token” may include an identifier for a paymentaccount that is a substitute for an account identifier, such as a PAN.For example, a payment token may include a series of numeric and/oralphanumeric characters that may be used as a substitute for an originalaccount identifier. For example, a payment token “4900 0000 0000 0001”may be used in place of a PAN “4147 0900 0000 1234.”In some embodiments,a payment token may be “format preserving” and may have a numeric formatthat conforms to the account identifiers used in existing paymentprocessing networks (e.g., ISO 8583 financial transaction messageformat). In some embodiments, a payment token may be used in place of aPAN to initiate, authorize, settle, or resolve a payment transaction orrepresent the original credential in other systems where the originalcredential would typically be provided. In some embodiments, a tokenvalue may be generated such that the recovery of the original PAN orother account identifier from the token value may not be computationallyderived. Further, in some embodiments, the token format may beconfigured to allow the entity receiving the payment token to identifyit as a payment token and recognize the entity that issued the token.

A “remote server” may include one or more computing devices, which canbe individual, stand-alone machines located at the same or differentlocations, may be owned or operated by the same or different entities,and may further be one or more clusters of distributed computers or“virtual” machines housed within a datacenter. It should be understoodand appreciated by a person of skill in the art that functions performedby one “server” can be spread across multiple disparate computingdevices for various reasons. As used herein, a “server” is intended torefer to all such scenarios and should not be construed or limited toone specific configuration. Further, a remote server as described hereinmay, but need not, reside at (or be operated by) a merchant, a shippingcompany, an acquiring bank, a payment network, a financial institution,a cryptocurrency transaction network (such as a public or privateblockchain), or agents of any of the aforementioned entities.

A “tamper-resistant memory” may include a secure computer memory in anelectronic device capable of storing sensitive data or applications. Atamper-resistant memory may, but need not be, physically isolated fromother memory in an electronic device. A tamper-resistant memory maycomprise, or may be contained within, a secure element, a hardwaresecurity module, a software security module, or other mechanismproviding for secure and controlled access to the data stored within it.Tamper-resistant memory may further comprise a dedicatedcrypto-processor used for accessing its contents and executing secureoperations.

A “token requestor” may refer to an entity that is seeking to implementtokenization according to embodiments of the present invention. Thetoken requestor may initiate a request that a PAN be tokenized bysubmitting a token request message to the token service provider.According to various embodiments discussed herein, a token requestor mayno longer need to store a PAN associated with a token once the requestorhas received the payment token in response to a token request message.The requestor may be an application, a device, a process, or a systemthat is configured to perform actions associated with tokens. Forexample, a requestor can request registration with a network tokensystem, request token generation, token activation, token de-activation,token exchange, other token lifecycle management related processes,and/or any other token related processes. A requestor may interface witha network token system through any suitable communication network and/orprotocol (e.g., using HTTPS, SOAP and/or an XML interface among others).Some non-limiting examples of token requestors may include, for example,card-on-file merchants, acquirers, acquirer processors, and paymentgateways acting on behalf of merchants, payment enablers (e.g., originalequipment manufacturers, mobile network operators, etc.), digital walletproviders, issuers, third-party wallet providers, and/or paymentprocessing networks. In some embodiments, a token requestor can requesttokens for multiple domains and/or channels. A token requestor may beregistered and identified uniquely by the token service provider withinthe tokenization ecosystem. During token requestor registration, thetoken service provider may formally process a token requestor'sapplication to participate in the token service system. The tokenservice provider may collect information pertaining to the nature of therequestor and relevant use of tokens to validate and formally approvethe token requestor and establish appropriate domain restrictioncontrols. Successfully registered token requestors may be assigned atoken requestor identifier that may also be entered and maintainedwithin the token vault. Token requestors can be revoked or assigned newtoken requestor identifiers. This information may be subject toreporting and audit by the token service provider.

A “token service provider” may refer to an entity including one or moreserver computers in a token service system that generates, processes andmaintains payment tokens. The token service provider may include or bein communication with a token vault where the generated tokens arestored. Specifically, the token vault may maintain one-to-one mappingbetween a token and a PAN represented by the token. The token serviceprovider may have the ability to set aside licensed BINs as token BINsto issue tokens for the PANs that may be submitted to the token serviceprovider. Various entities of a tokenization ecosystem may assume theroles of the token service provider. For example, payment networks andissuers or their agents may become the token service provider byimplementing the token services according to embodiments of the presentinvention. A token service provider may provide reports or data outputto reporting tools regarding approved, pending, or declined tokenrequests, including any assigned token requestor ID. The token serviceprovider may provide data output related to token-based transactions toreporting tools and applications and present the token and/or PAN asappropriate in the reporting output. The EMVCo standards organizationhas published specifications defining how tokenized systems may operate.While such specifications may be informative, they are not intended tobe limiting upon any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

A “token vault” may refer to a repository that maintains establishedtoken-to-PAN mappings. According to various embodiments, the token vaultmay also maintain other attributes of the token requestor that may bedetermined at the time of registration and that may be used by the tokenservice provider to apply domain restrictions or other controls duringtransaction processing. The token vault may be a part of the tokenservice system. In some embodiments, the token vault may be provided asa part of the token service provider. Alternatively, the token vault maybe a remote repository accessible by the token service provider. Tokenvaults, due to the sensitive nature of the data mappings that are storedand managed in them, may be protected by strong underlying physical andlogical security.

An “unmanned delivery vehicle” or “drone” may include any type ofremotely controlled or autonomous vehicles capable of transporting anitem to a specified location. Such vehicles may be self-powered ground,water, or aerial transportation vehicles. Some non-limiting examples ofunmanned delivery vehicles include the AAI RQ-7 Shadow, the Microdronesmd4-1000, the Workhorse HorseFly Autonomous Drone, and the Amazon PrimeAir delivery vehicles.

A “wireless data transmission device” may be a fixed or portable devicecapable of storing and communicating, among other things, paymentinformation and other data over at least one wireless communicationchannel. In a preferred embodiment, a wireless data transmission devicemay have a connection to the Internet, and may also be capable ofcommunicating with devices in proximity over a variety of wirelesscommunication channels. A wireless data transmission device may also beor function as a modem, router, network switch, repeater, homeautomation hub, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or other type ofcomputing, networking, or telecommunications equipment.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative example of asystem 100 in which techniques for implementing a user-less paymenton-delivery of an item 105 may be implemented. System 100 may include awireless data transmission device 101, which is capable of communicatingwith an unmanned delivery vehicle 103 via its antenna 108. In onenon-limiting embodiment, unmanned delivery vehicle 103 navigates to adelivery location, which may occur through map-based autonomousnavigation, remote-control piloting, or any other method of finding adestination, all of which may involve the use of an on-board camera 110.Unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may optionally utilize environmental data,such as a printed/posted mailing address 107 displayed on a mailbox orimage recognition of a delivery location 102 to confirm that it hasreached the intended delivery location. It should be appreciated thatunmanned delivery vehicle 103 may recognize that it has arrived at theappropriate delivery location via a number of possible techniques, othernon-limiting examples of which include analysis of current GlobalPositioning System (“GPS”) coordinates, cellular triangulation, orthrough any other suitable techniques. In one non-limiting embodiment,wireless data transmission device 101 detects the approaching unmanneddelivery vehicle 103. In another non-limiting embodiment, unmanneddelivery vehicle 103 may detect the presence of wireless datatransmission device 101. Such detection could optionally occur by anyoperable detection mechanism, such as RF interrogation, RADAR,photographic recognition, or communication via a medium-range wirelesscommunication channel.

After detection, it may be necessary for unmanned delivery vehicle 103and wireless data transmission device 101 to authenticate each other andestablish trust. In some embodiments, this could occur through theexchange and verification of secret codes provided to each other. Suchsecret codes could be provided by a merchant, shipper, or any otherentity known and trusted by both parties. In one non-limitingembodiment, these secret codes could be verified by each device locally,if each device had previously received the other's secret code. In apreferred non-limiting embodiment, wireless data transmission device 101may send its secret code to unmanned delivery vehicle 103, and unmanneddelivery vehicle 103 may send its secret code to wireless datatransmission device 101. Each entity may then verify those secret codeswith a mutually trusted party, which could be the merchant, shipper, orany other trusted entity. It will be appreciated that there are manyways for devices to establish trust with each other, and that theforegoing recites only one such technique.

Wireless data transmission device 101 may optionally wish to confirmthat an item 105 being transported by unmanned delivery vehicle 103 isan item that is expected for delivery. This confirmation may occurbefore or after the establishment of trust between unmanned deliveryvehicle 103 and wireless data transmission device 101. Confirmation ofitem 105 may occur by unmanned delivery vehicle 103 communicatinginformation about an item, such as an order number, an item number, aSKU, a product name, or any other information suitable for identifyingitem 105, as well as information identifying the intended recipient.Upon receipt of such information, wireless data transmission device 101may compare that information against previously stored information. Itwill be appreciated that wireless data transmission device 101 could“reject” delivery by transmitting delivery instructions indicating suchrejection.

Upon successfully establishing trust between wireless data transmissiondevice 101 and unmanned delivery vehicle 103, wireless data transmissiondevice 101 may send payment information and delivery instructions tounmanned delivery vehicle 103 over a wireless communication channel,which may be received via antenna 108.

In a preferred embodiment, this communication would occur over amedium-range wireless communication channel, non-limiting examples ofwhich could include WiFi®, Bluetooth®, WPAN, Li-Fi, or any othersuitable technique. Unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may then send paymentinformation to a remote server 113 for payment processing over along-range wireless communication channel via an antenna 104. In someembodiments, this payment information comprises a PAN, such as thoseused in the Visa® or MasterCard® payment networks, and unmanned deliveryvehicle 103 may populate an ISO 8583 authorization request messagecontaining this payment information, and may send that message to remoteserver 113 for payment processing. Such processing may further compriseremote server 113 transmitting the payment data to a payment network,financial institution, or other location for transaction approval ordecline. In such an embodiment, remote server 113 may receive a responseindicating whether the transaction was approved or declined. Remoteserver 113 may also inform unmanned delivery vehicle 103 of whether atransaction was approved or declined. Upon a transaction decline,unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may retry the payment transaction, or mayinform wireless data transmission device 101, which may optionallyprovide different payment information to unmanned delivery vehicle 103.If the transaction is again declined, unmanned delivery vehicle 103 mayreturn to its original dispatch location without releasing item 105.

Upon transaction approval, remote server 113 may send an approvalmessage to unmanned delivery vehicle 103, indicating that thetransaction was approved, and that further providing an indication orinstruction that item 105 may be released in accordance with anydelivery instructions otherwise received from wireless data transmissiondevice 101. The delivery instructions communicated to unmanned deliveryvehicle 103 may include geographic coordinates, degrees/minutes/seconds,a postal address, a business name, or any other information useful inidentifying a location to which an item may be delivered. It will beappreciated that such delivery instructions need not refer to a locationthat is within the vicinity of the original delivery location 102 orprinted/posted mailing address 107.

In some embodiments as depicted in FIG. 1, wireless data transmissiondevice 101 may instruct unmanned delivery vehicle 103 to release item105 at an updated delivery location 109, which represents a doorsteplocated at delivery location 102. Release of item 105 may occur byunlocking release and carrying mechanism 106. Release and carryingmechanism 106 may be any suitable device capable of securely holding,carrying, and releasing an item, non-limiting examples of which mayinclude a clamp, grip, claw, hook, or projectile canon. In someembodiments, release and carrying mechanism 106 may be operated andcontrolled by locally or remotely stored software to ensure safe andaccurate placement of the item. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1,unmanned delivery vehicle 103 is an aerial transport vehicle. However,it will be appreciated that unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may be a landor water-based vehicle, as well. In such circumstances, it may not bepossible to directly access updated delivery location 109, in whichcase, unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may release item 105 at the nearestlocation accessible to it, or unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may beequipped with a specialized release mechanism capable of enabling item105 to be accurately placed at updated delivery location 109, whichcould occur in any operable way, including by spring and/or gas-poweredprojectile technology, for example. In such embodiments, unmanneddelivery vehicle 103 may consider, compare, or evaluate the contents,durability, or fragility of item 105 against any predefined rulesrelating to the item ability to withstand high-altitude release,projection through the air, or any other method of release that mightcause damage to item 105. Alternatively, unmanned delivery vehicle 103may inform wireless data transmission device 101 that updated deliverylocation 109 is not directly accessible to it and may request analternative location. In some embodiments, wireless data transmissiondevice 101 may grant access to otherwise secured physical areas in oraround original delivery location 102. As a non-limiting example,wireless data transmission device 101, if enabled with home or buildingautomation features, may cause a door or window to be unlocked andopened. A non-limiting example of this might be through the opening of aradio controlled garage door, thereby allowing for unmanned deliveryvehicle 103 to release item 105 within an otherwise enclosed or securearea. Upon the departure of unmanned delivery vehicle 103, wireless datatransmission device 101 may close the door or window. It will beappreciated by a person of skill in the art that such communicationsnecessary to allow access to specific areas could occur via a wired orwireless communication channel or through any other appropriate medium.

Payment information and delivery instructions may be communicated viavarious channels. In some embodiments, wireless data transmission device101 may communicate payment data and delivery information andinstructions to unmanned delivery vehicle 103 over a medium-rangewireless communication channel, and unmanned delivery vehicle 103 maythen act as a wireless POS device by transmitting payment information toremote server 113 via antenna 104 and over a long-range wirelesscommunication protocol, such as a satellite link 111, or a cellularnetwork link 112 and then through an Internet network 114. In someembodiments, unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may send the paymentinformation back to wireless data transmission device 101 using thealready established medium-range wireless communication channel fortransmission to remote server 113 via wireless data transmissiondevice's 101 Internet connection. In such an embodiment, unmanneddelivery vehicle 103 may establish a secure “tunnel” over which it mayprovide the payment information to remote server 113. Such aconfiguration may be necessary in situations in which unmanned deliveryvehicle 103 is unable to utilize a long-range communication channel. Insome embodiments, wireless data transmission device 101 may send paymentinformation and optionally delivery instructions to remote server 113,via its own connection to Internet network 114, instead of sending suchinformation to unmanned delivery vehicle 103. In such embodiments, uponreceipt of the payment information by remote server 113, remote server113 may transmit the payment data to a financial institution, paymentnetwork, or other location for enabling transaction approval or decline.In such embodiments, remote server 113 may receive a response indicatingwhether the transaction was approved or declined. Remote server 113 mayalso inform unmanned delivery vehicle 103 of whether a transaction wasapproved or declined, and if approved, may also provide an indication ofwhether item 105 may be released, and optionally, remote server 113 mayalso provide additional delivery instructions to unmanned deliveryvehicle 103. This communication could occur over a long-range wirelesscommunication channel, or back through wireless data transmission device101 and its medium-range wireless communication channel. In anyembodiments in which communications between unmanned delivery vehicle103 and remote server 113 occur through wireless data transmissiondevice 101, such messages could be digitally signed via the use ofdigital certificates or any other operable cryptographic techniques toallow each party to confirm the authenticity of the messages.

In some embodiments, wireless data transmission device 101 may providepayment for an item via a “push payment” transaction. In such instances,unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may provide payment information towireless data transmission device 101. However, in such an embodiment,wireless data transmission device 101 would instruct a financialinstitution to transmit funds to an account corresponding to the paymentinformation provided by unmanned delivery vehicle 103. Non-limitingexamples of such transactions include the Visa Inc.'s Visa Directproduct offering, Visa Inc's Original Credit Transaction message(“OCT”), an Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) credit push transaction, abank wire transfer, or any other suitable technique. FIG. 2A depictsaspects of a process flow 200 that may be present when a wireless datatransmission device 101 requests and receives a payment token. The owneror operator of wireless data transmission device 101 may wish to storecertain payment information within that device. In some embodiments ofthe invention, such payment information may be stored in atamper-resistant memory within wireless data transmission device 101,and in a preferred embodiment, the payment information that is storedwill be “tokenized.” As a preliminary step, which is not depicted inFIG. 2A, the owner or operator of wireless data transmission device 101may attempt to load existing payment information into wireless datatransmission device 101. This could occur during device setup or at somepoint during its configuration and may trigger the generation andsubmission of a token request.

In some embodiments, wireless data transmission device 101 may submit atoken request to token requestor 203. In some embodiments, wireless datatransmission device 101 may perform the functions of token requestor203, and thus need not interact with token requestor 203. The exactcontents of the token request may be specific to the token serviceprovider, but non-limiting examples of such a request may include aprimary account number, an identifier of the requesting device or user,or any other data necessary for a token service provider to provision atoken to the wireless data transmission device 101. Token requestor 203may receive the token request from wireless data transmission device101, and may reformat the request and may add additional data to it, ortoken requestor 203 may forward the token request to a token serviceprovider 201. It should be appreciated that a token service providerneed not be part of a payment network and could be operated by any otherentity, including an issuer financial institution or third party. Uponreceipt of the token request, token service provider 201 may communicatewith token vault 204 by sending all or some aspects of the token requestto token vault 204. Token vault 204 may then provide token serviceprovider 201 with a payment token corresponding to the paymentinformation, which may be sent back to wireless data transmission device101 via token requestor 203. Wireless data transmission device 101 maystore the payment token received in a tamper-resistant memory, and maythen provide the payment token to unmanned delivery vehicles for paymentof delivered packages. It should be appreciated by a person of skill inthe art that numerous configurations are possible, and that a tokenvault may be operated by any suitable entity, including issuers,clearing houses, other financial institutions, or any other entity.

FIG. 2B depicts aspects of a process flow 210 that may be present whenprocessing a payment transaction involving the unmanned delivery vehicle103. In some embodiments, upon its receipt of payment information,unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may submit that payment information toremote server 113 over a communication channel. It will be appreciatedby a person of skill in the art that the payment information could betransmitted within an ISO 8583 authorization request message, whichunmanned delivery vehicle 103 could generate. In some embodiments,unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may also provide the transaction amountfor payment, as well as an expiration date, and a card verificationvalue or code (a “CVV” or “CVC”). In an alternative embodiment, unmanneddelivery vehicle 103 need not actually generate and send anauthorization request message in any specific format, but could insteadmerely provide the payment information to remote server 113. If remoteserver 113 is participating in or connected to a payment network, suchas the Visa network, remote server 113 may then forward the paymentinformation received from unmanned delivery vehicle 103 if the paymentinformation is received in the proper format (e.g., ISO 8583). If thepayment information has not been provided in the proper format, remoteserver 113 may generate and populate the proper message accordingly.Remote server 113 may then forward the payment information, thetransaction amount, and any other necessary data to a payment network202. If a transaction amount is not provided to remote server 113 byunmanned delivery vehicle 103, remote server 113 may insert thetransaction amount if the transaction amount is available.

In some embodiments, the payment information may be “tokenized”. In suchembodiments, the payment information sent by unmanned delivery vehicle103 may not be an actual financial account number, but rather, randomlyassigned or cryptographically generated data that represents an accountnumber along with other data, such as a cryptogram and a token assurancelevel. Tokenization is one way for protecting sensitive data and is usedin some payment networks, such as the Visa payment network. In suchcases, payment network 202, or a token service provider operatingtherein, may optionally detokenize the payment information to retrieveactual account information. This may occur through communication withtoken vault 204, in which payment network 202 may provide the tokenizedpayment information to token vault 204, and token vault 204 may identifythe account information that corresponds to the tokenized paymentinformation. Token vault 204 may then provide the account information topayment network 202.

Payment network 202 may send account information, along with any othernecessary data, such as the transaction amount, to an issuer 205. Issuer205 may, among other things, determine whether the account correspondingto the account information received has sufficient funds or creditavailable to authorize a payment transaction. Issuer 205 may thenprovide that result in the form of a response, indicating transactionapproval or decline, to payment network 202. Payment network 202 maythen relay that response to remote server 113 and subsequently unmanneddelivery vehicle 103. Such response may optionally be provided accordingto the ISO 8583 authorization response message. As described in theother figures herein, unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may then releaseitem 105 if the response received indicates that the transaction wasapproved. Otherwise, unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may retry thetransaction or depart if the response received indicates that thetransaction was declined. A person of skill in the art will appreciatethat the process depicted in FIG. 2B is one possible way of performing apayment transaction, and that numerous other methods exist forprocessing a payment transaction, all of which may be suitable for usein the embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 depicts a process flow 300 for providing payment information anddelivery instructions to an unmanned delivery vehicle in accordance withat least some embodiments. The process flow 300 may begin by a wirelessdata transmission device detecting and verifying an unmanned deliveryvehicle at step 301, or in the alternative, an unmanned delivery vehiclemay detect and verify a wireless data transmission device at step 302.At step 303, a wireless data transmission device may optionally obtainpayment information, if the payment information is not already storedwithin that device or that device's tamper-resistant memory. In someembodiments, a wireless data transmission device may request or retrievepayment information via the Internet from a financial institution orpayment network, and may do so at a time contemporaneous with theoccurrence of a payment transaction. In such instances, a wireless datatransmission device may or may not permanently store that paymentinformation, although it is recognized that in such embodiments paymentinformation may reside in a memory or other storage mechanismephemerally. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a wireless datatransmission device may store the payment information in atamper-resistant memory for this and future uses.

At step 304, a wireless data transmission device may send paymentinformation and delivery instructions to an unmanned delivery vehicle,and the unmanned delivery vehicle may receive the payment informationand delivery instructions at step 305. Proceeding to step 306, anunmanned delivery vehicle may then transmit payment information to aremote server for transaction approval. Transmission of the paymentinformation from an unmanned delivery vehicle to a remote server mayoccur in a number of different ways. In some embodiments, thisinformation may be transmitted via a long-range communication channel,such as over a cellular network link or satellite link. In someembodiments, payment information may be sent by an unmanned deliveryvehicle via a medium-range wireless communication channel, in which thedata is relayed between other delivery vehicles, wireless datatransmission devices, access points, or other devices until the paymentinformation reaches a remote server. Such relays could occur usingwireless mesh networking technologies or could leverage the nearbydevices as signal repeaters, and although likely a slower communicationmethod, could be leveraged if cellular or satellite communicationsnetworks are unavailable or unreachable. In some embodiments, which arenot explicitly depicted in FIG. 3, if a wireless data transmissiondevice has an available Internet connection, an unmanned deliveryvehicle may utilize the medium-range wireless communication channel thathas been established with the wireless data transmission device tocreate a “tunnel” and connect to a remote server via the Internetconnection of the wireless data transmission device.

In some embodiments, the unmanned delivery vehicle may then transmit thepayment data to a remote server, as depicted in step 306. At step 307, aremote server may receive the transmitted payment information and maythen proceed to process the payment transaction at step 308. This mayentail a remote server sending the payment information to a financialinstitution or payment network. In an alternative embodiment, a remoteserver may actually belong to such entities, in which case, a remoteserver may have the ability to approve or decline a transaction. At step309, a remote server may then inform an unmanned delivery vehicle ofwhether the transaction was approved or declined, and consequently,whether or not the item to be delivered may be released. As previouslystated, this communication may occur over a long-range wirelesscommunication channel, a medium-range wireless communication channel, orthrough a “tunnel” established over the Internet connection of thewireless data transmission device.

At step 310, an unmanned delivery vehicle may receive a transactionapproval or decline message, and authorization to release the item, ifthe transaction was approved. At step 311, an unmanned delivery vehiclemay release the item if the transaction was approved, in accordance withdelivery instructions received at step 305. If the transaction was notapproved, an unmanned delivery vehicle may retry the transaction ordepart without releasing the item. At step 312, assuming the transactionwas successful, an unmanned delivery vehicle may provide to a wirelessdata transmission device a transaction receipt, which the wireless datatransmission device may send via the medium-range wireless channel insome embodiments, along with evidence of delivery, such as a photo takenby an on-board camera. At step 313, a wireless data transmission devicemay receive and store the transaction receipt in a memory.

FIG. 4 depicts aspects of elements that may be present in a wirelessdata transmission device 101. Wireless data transmission device 101 maycontain at least one central processing unit (“CPU” or “processor”) 401,which is used for executing computer instructions. Wireless datatransmission device 101 may also contain a computer memory 402 capableof storing data, including executable instructions and other informationnecessary for operation. Wireless data transmission device 101 may alsocontain a tamper-resistant memory 403, which may be used as temporary orlong-term storage of secure data, or in some embodiments, paymentinformation, such as payment card information, banking information, orother types of sensitive data used for performing a payment transaction.Additionally, wireless data transmission device 101 may also contain amedium-range wireless communication module 404, which may comprisesoftware, circuitry, and other hardware, or a combination thereofcapable of establishing communication with, and transmitting data to andreceiving data from, approaching delivery vehicles within a localproximity using a medium-range wireless communication channel.Non-limiting examples of such wireless communication modules may includea WiFi® or Bluetooth® radio, baseband processors, a microcontroller,antennae, or any other hardware or software-based communications modulecapable of medium range (sub-50 meters) communication. Wireless datatransmission device 101 may also contain a package delivery detectionmodule 405, which may be software, hardware, or a combination of the twouseful in detecting and interrogating incoming delivery vehicles.Package delivery detection module 405 may also be part of themedium-range wireless communication module or could alternativelyutilize any suitable technologies for detecting an incoming deliveryvehicle and determining that such vehicle is transporting a package thatis either expected for delivery or intended for delivery to an entity orlocation known to wireless data transmission device 101. Wireless datatransmission device 101 may also contain an Internet connectivity module406, enabling wireless data transmission device 101 to connect to theInternet. Non-limiting examples of an Internet connectivity module 406may include an on-board modem, network bridge, or other circuitryenabling bidirectional data communication with an Internet ServiceProvider or any other entity capable of providing connectivity to theInternet or a telecommunications network. In some embodiments, wirelessdata transmission device 101 may also function as a router, modem,network switch, repeater, home automation hub, smartphone, tablet, anyother computing, telecommunications, or networking equipment, or anycombination thereof, and may also be responsible for providing andmaintaining a connection to the Internet through a telecommunicationsnetwork. The Internet connection maintained by wireless datatransmission device 101 may utilize fixed, wire-based physical layerconnections over any suitable mediums, such as coaxial cables, fiberoptic cables, Ethernet cables, or telephone lines, or via a wirelessmedium, such as LTE, WiMAX, satellite link, packet radio, or any othersuitable communication medium.

FIG. 5 depicts aspects of elements that may be present in an unmanneddelivery vehicle 103 configured to implement a method and/or process inaccordance with some embodiments of the present invention. As previouslydescribed throughout the other figures herein, an unmanned deliveryvehicle 103 may also include, among other things, numerous hardware andsoftware components, including at least one central processing unit(“CPU” or “processor”) 501, which may be used for executing computerinstructions, a computer memory 502, which may be capable of storingdata, including executable instructions and other information necessaryfor operation. Unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may also include anautonomous navigation or a remote piloting module 503, which may behardware, software, or a combination thereof, that may enable unmanneddelivery vehicle 103 to reach a desired destination either autonomouslyor via a remotely located pilot in control of unmanned deliveryvehicle's movement. Unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may also containcommunication modules 504, which may enable long- and medium-rangewireless communication. Communication modules 504 may be hardware,software, or any combination thereof to enable such wirelesscommunications with wireless data transmission devices, remote servers,and any connection intermediaries. Non-limiting examples of suchcommunication modules may include wireless radios, antennae, andbaseband processors capable of communicating over various communicationchannels and using any suitable wireless communication protocols, suchas IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth Low Energy, WPAN/IEEE 802.15. Itemrelease software module 505 may be a preprogrammed software applicationthat enables unmanned delivery vehicle 103 to drop, place, or project anitem to a desired location via the control of a release and carryingmechanism. Item release software module 505 may contain computerexecutable instructions which operate the opening and closing of certaintypes of carry and release mechanisms. In some embodiments, item releasesoftware module 505 may receive a signal from CPU 501 or camera inputsensor and an image recognition module 507 indicating arrival at orproximate to a desired delivery location, and instructing release of anitem through execution of computer instructions which operate theopening and closing of certain types of carrying and release mechanisms.In some embodiments, item release software module 505 may performcalculations relating to how an item may be released to accurately reacha destination location, considering as inputs to such calculationsenvironmental factors such as wind speed, current height/altitude ofunmanned delivery vehicle 103, weather conditions, weight of the carrieditem, fragility of the carried item, durability, and any other relevantinformation to determine trajectories, velocities, and desirable methodsfor depositing packages to ensure damage-free delivery of an item to aprecise location. Unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may also optionallycontain wireless data transmission device detection module 506, whichmay be used to detect the presence of a wireless data transmissiondevice corresponding to a particular delivery, and which may furtherfacilitate setting up a communication link with a wireless datatransmission device. It should be appreciated that such detection andinterrogation may occur as part of normal communications with thewireless data transmission device, and that communication modules 504may comprise wireless data transmission device detection module 506 ormay perform even its functions. Unmanned delivery vehicle 103 may alsocontain camera input sensor and image recognition module 507, which maybe a combination of hardware and software, and may comprise or operatein conjunction with an on-board camera, RADAR sensor, LiDAR sensor, orany other sensing technologies and associated software used inautonomous navigation and travel. Camera input sensor and imagerecognition module 507 may assist in navigation, collision avoidance,identification of desired delivery locations, and in recording traveland package delivery confirmation.

It should be understood and appreciated by a person of skill in the artthat nothing in the above is intended to limit the functionality andstructures described herein. The above description is illustrative andis not restrictive. Many variations of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure. Thescope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not withreference to the above description, but instead should be determinedwith reference to the pending claims along with their full scope orequivalents. One or more features from any embodiment may be combinedwith one or more features of any other embodiment without departing fromthe scope of the invention. A recitation of “a,” “an,” “the,” or “atleast one” is intended to mean “one or more” unless specificallyindicated to the contrary. All patents, patent applications,publications, and descriptions mentioned above are herein incorporatedby reference in their entirety for all purposes. None is admitted to beprior art.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An item delivery system comprising: awireless data transmission device; an unmanned delivery vehicleconfigured to: transport an item to a recipient location; wirelesslyreceive payment information upon arrival at the recipient location;wirelessly transmit the payment information to a remote server;wirelessly receive an indication that the item is to be released; andrelease the item at the recipient location; wherein the wireless datatransmission device is configured to: wirelessly transmit the paymentinformation to the unmanned delivery vehicle.
 2. The item deliverysystem of claim 1, wherein the wireless data transmission device isfurther configured to automatically detect a presence of the unmanneddelivery vehicle.
 3. The item delivery system of claim 1, wherein theunmanned delivery vehicle is further configured to automatically detecta presence of the wireless data transmission device.
 4. The itemdelivery system of claim 1, wherein the wireless data transmissiondevice is further configured to send to the unmanned delivery vehiclethe indication that the item is to be released.
 5. The item deliverysystem of claim 1, wherein the wireless data transmission device isfurther configured to send to the unmanned delivery vehicle an itemrelease location.
 6. The item delivery system of claim 5, wherein theitem release location comprises at least one of a physical address,location coordinates, a business name, or any combination thereof. 7.The item delivery system of claim 1, wherein the wireless datatransmission device is further configured to: obtain, from a remoteserver, the payment information; and store, in a tamper-resistantmemory, the payment information.
 8. The item delivery system of claim 7,wherein the payment information comprises a payment token.
 9. The itemdelivery system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned delivery vehicle andthe wireless data transmission device are further configured to operatewithout user intervention.
 10. The item delivery system of claim 1,wherein the unmanned delivery vehicle is further configured to send, tothe wireless data transmission device, a transaction receipt.
 11. Amethod for delivering an item comprising: navigating to a recipientlocation with the item on board; receiving payment information uponarrival at the recipient location; transmitting the payment informationto a remote server; receiving an indication of whether the item is to bereleased; and releasing the item if the indication received waspositive.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the payment information istransmitted within an authorization request message.
 13. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the payment information is received from a wirelessdata transmission device.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein thepayment information is received from the wireless data transmissiondevice over a medium-range wireless communication channel.
 15. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the payment information is transmittedthrough the wireless data transmission device to the remote server. 16.The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting a presence of awireless data transmission device.
 17. The method of claim 11, whereinthe payment information is transmitted to the remote server over along-range wireless communication channel.
 18. A method for acceptingdelivery of an item, the method comprising: detecting an unmanneddelivery vehicle transporting the item; transmitting payment informationto the unmanned delivery vehicle; and providing an item release locationto the unmanned delivery vehicle.
 19. The method of claim 18, whereinthe item release location comprises at least one of a physical address,location coordinates, a business name, or any combination thereof. 20.The method of claim 19, further comprising: obtaining, from a remoteserver, the payment information; and storing, in a tamper-resistantmemory, the payment information.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein thepayment information comprises a payment token.
 22. The method of claim18, further comprising: transmitting, to the unmanned delivery vehicle,information identifying at least one of the item, an order, an identityof an intended recipient, or any combination thereof.
 23. The method ofclaim 18, further comprising: opening a secured location for entry bythe unmanned delivery vehicle, wherein access to the secured location isrequired to reach the item release location.